Thanks to the perseverance of two local figure-skating professionals, Livonia Stevenson students have an additional athletics option that is as cool as ice.

After several years of trying to add a figure-skating team to the school’s varsity-sports menu, coaches Holly Malewski and Jen Schneider shifted gears and opted to form a club-level program — and it worked, with flying colors.

Stevenson’s “C” team placed first at a recent district competition, thus qualifying for this weekend’s state tournament in Novi. All 11 skaters also qualified as individuals for the season-ending competition.

“A lot of people said this could never be done, but we kept after it, and it’s been incredibly successful,” said Malewski, an international-level figure-skating coach whose daughter, Rachel, is a member of the team. “Eleven skaters is huge for an inaugural team. The girls have worked extremely hard and the success they’ve achieved is a result of the hard work.”

The team practices twice a month at the Farmington Ice Arena, although both coaches noted that the site will switch to Livonia’s Eddie Edgar Arena next year.

“We help the girls work on their elements at the practices, then they take what they learned and work out on their own between practices and competitions,” said Schneider. “It is a very dedicated group.”

To help keep the skaters’ costs at a minimum, a local synchronized-skating team loaned dresses to the club.

Each of the 45 teams in the state — all of whom compete against one another, regardless of school size — are divided into three levels — A, B and C, depending on the skaters’ skill level.

Competitions are broken down into three categories: jumps, spins and moves in field. A panel of five judges evaluate the skaters’ performances and award scores based on how they executed the elements involved.

Two teams from each of the state’s seven districts advanced to the state tournament. Stevenson’s “C” team placed first in District 1 and moves on along with United Farmington.

The district champion “C” team includes Keira Callison, Emily Welch, Kristina Pernicano and Kylie Callison.

“Stevenson’s principal, Gary Harper, has been very supportive, as has the Stevenson Athletics Booster Club, which offered to pay our registration fee for the state tournament,” said Malewski. “We are greatly appreciative of their support.”

The program is striving to grow each year, with new participants — both boys and girls, the coaches noted — encouraged to try out for next year’s team.